Matilda Awards

06/04/2025

The Matilda Awards are pleased to welcome Aurora Liddle-Christie and Colin W Smith to the 2025 judging panel. Together, they are set to make a dynamic impact on our celebration of Queensland's theatrical talent. Let's give them a warm welcome as they join us in celebrating the best of Queensland theatre.

Learn more about the judging panel here: https://www.matildaawards.com.au/people

28/02/2025

27/02/2025

We had an amazing time celebrating another fantastic year of theatre in Queensland at the 2024 Matilda Awards with our nearest and dearest!

If you were in attendance, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out our survey. Your feedback helps us ensure the Matilda Awards continue to reflect and support our industry, and plays a key role in our funding applications.
https://forms.gle/NEyo5i5FNY17yFYE6



Photography by Bulimba Studios

25/02/2025

Thank you Queensland Theatre makers!
We adored celebrating our industry with you last night at the 37th Matilda Awards. Theatre in Queensland is certainly alive and kicking.

View the full list of nominees and winners on our website: https://www.matildaawards.com.au/2024-winners



Photography by Bulimba Studios

25/02/2025

The best and brightest of Queensland’s stellar performing arts industry were recognised for their contributions on and off the stage at a star-studded ceremony at Brisbane Powerhouse on Monday evening (24 February) at the 2024 Matilda Awards.

24/02/2025

THE JUDGES’ AWARD
Straight From The Strait – Opera Queensland, Yumpla Nerkep Foundation & QPAC, in association with Brisbane Festival.

Straight from the Strait was an ambitious and culturally significant work, several years in the making, the first Torres Strait Island musical and one of the first fully staged TSI stories. As such it carries a weight of responsibility to families and to cultural storytelling, as well as entertaining and informing a broader audience. The mix of language with limited surtitles meant that English speaking audience members had to guess at times what was being said, reflecting the experience of Torres Strait Islanders themselves at first contact with English speakers. The response of the community to the work suggests that it will settle into the culture, being performed over and again, not necessarily in its entirety, but as songs, dances and scenes recording this story, which is already deeply embedded in the local history. A significant and lasting undertaking for all the producers involved, exemplifying the potential in this form of collaboration.

24/02/2025

THE GOLD MATILDA
Flipside Circus

Since their beginnings in 1994 with community classes under a tree in Davies Park, West End, Flipside have been providing young people across Queensland with the opportunity to learn circus and physical performance regardless of background or circumstances. Focusing on collaboration and celebrating creativity, they foster the development of our next generation of circus and physical theatre artists and create memorable performances on themes that are meaningful to young people, including Matilda nominated shows like 'We Live Here' and 'Wilbur the Optical Whale'.

In 2023, with the support of government and their broader community, the company opened a $2.4 million purpose-built circus training and presentation space in Hamilton, with specialist circus training facilities unlike any other in Australia, enabling emerging and established circus companies in southeast Queensland to collaborate and create new work. The venue faced a fire at the beginning of 2024, remaining closed for repairs until September. Despite this, Flipside stayed committed to their work, delivering 2,104 workshops for 23,381 participants across the state, including 119 programs to 3,860 kids in over 40 communities in regional and remote Queensland and accessible workshops for 1207 participants as a part of their community/social circus program.

24/02/2025

BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD
Brendan O’Connor

Brendan O’Connor is a workshop builder, set realiser, creator, artist, associate artistic director, mentor, teacher, rigger, and technical crew member. As Co-founder and Associate Artistic Director of TheatreiNQ in Townsville, Brendan has not just changed many set pieces, floorboards, and lightbulbs, he has greatly impacted the arts and cultural sector in Far North Queensland and enriched the livelihoods of many performers, young people, and members of the public through his practice. Brendan was paramount in the construction of not only TheatreiNQ itself, but also its venue The Clubhouse, which houses all of the company’s mainstage productions and the numerous youth and regional engagement programs run by TheatreiNQ. He has created and delivered outstanding productions, encouraged and guided young artists, energised and revitalised the community, and inspires all those who know him.

24/02/2025

THE LORD MAYOR’S AWARD FOR BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Blue – Playwright: Thomas Weatherall (A Belvoir Street production, presented by La Boite Theatre).

Blue is a play of great beauty. On the surface, it’s a story about a young man dealing with a first love, the grief over losing his brother and his mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis. Like the ocean itself, however, the play’s hidden depths both mystify and astound. It’s a show about masculinity, pain, and the power of feeling. Thomas Weatherall’s debut one-man show is semi-autobiographical or as he describes it, very personal fiction. The honesty, insight and heart in Blue would be noteworthy in a work by a seasoned playwright. As a debut work of a man still in his 20s it clearly marks Weatherall as a promising writer with a bright future.
Blue is depression
Blue is the ocean
Blue is the sky
Blue is something special.

24/02/2025

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
37 – Queensland Theatre & Melbourne Theatre Company.

Society would have us believe that sport and theatre are opposites, and never the twain shall meet. 37 shows just how naive that thought process truly is. By combining the high drama of an AFL game with the beauty and subtlety of great Australian theatre, 37 delivers a masterclass in mainstage excellence—one that is as visceral as it is poetic. Set against the backdrop of the Adam Goodes saga, 37 is a sharp, nuanced exploration of not just racism in sport, but the role sport plays in shaping Australian identity, masculinity, and the national conscience. It forces its audience to grapple with uncomfortable truths, laying bare the deep cultural tensions that exist beneath the roar of the crowd. This is theatre at its most urgent and unflinching—where the personal and the political collide with the force of a body on the field.

24/02/2025

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Scenes from a Yellow Peril – The Reaction Theory & BIPOC ARTS AUSTRALIA.

The play was a deeply moving portrayal of Asian identity in a non-Asian culture, capturing the heartache, resilience, and triumphs of a community often overlooked. In a sharp, tightly disciplined production, each scene was filled with raw emotion, making an audience laugh, cry, and reflect on the realities many face. The powerful performances and heartfelt storytelling were thought-provoking and often inspirational, shedding light on identity, family, and perseverance in a way that resonated deeply. Technical elements were simple, stylish, mood-enhancing, with some superb cueing. The characters felt real, their journeys relatable and touching. This play is not just a story—it’s an experience that lingers in your heart, reminding us of the strength in unity and hope.

24/02/2025

BEST CIRCUS OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Dido and Aeneas – Opera Queensland, in association with Circa.

Dido and Aeneas by Opera Queensland in association with Circa was a powerful and visually stunning new take on the classic Baroque opera that proved to be captivating and accessible for lovers of both opera and circus. Dido and Aeneas sets new benchmarks for mixing artforms, with the physical performances of circus artists both contributing to the story and highlighting the emotion of the vocal performances, while blending seamlessly with the Opera Queensland ensemble. Director Yaron Lifschitz masterfully blended the talents and vocal stylings of Opera Queensland with an impressive range of circus artistry from his company of performers at Circa. All dimensions of QPAC’s Playhouse space were utilised to bring the classic story to life, as Circa's ensemble dived and balanced precariously above and around the vocalists to bring this classic story of doomed love to life.

24/02/2025

BEST MUSICAL OR CABARET
Straight From The Strait – Opera Queensland, Yumpla Nerkep Foundation & QPAC, in association with Brisbane Festival.

On 8 May 1968, Torres Strait Islander workers on the Mount Newman railway set a world record, laying 7km of track in one day—a feat still unmatched. Their achievement, fuelled by the power of song, inspired a musical by Norah Bagiri and Rubina Kimiia, rich with heart, laughter and life. A collaborative production, it highlights the deep connection between performers, audience, and culture, blending traditional Torres Strait music with contemporary melodies and featuring Meriam Mir, Kala Lagaw Ya, Torres Strait Creole, and English. With a modern band, this vibrant story pulses with passion, pride, and cultural heritage.

24/02/2025

BEST ENSEMBLE
Scenes from a Yellow Peril – The Reaction Theory & BIPOC ARTS AUSTRALIA.

In 2021, a study found 17.4% of Australians identify as part of the Asian diaspora. Yet in the same year a different study found merely 1-2% of main roles on mainstream television were of Asian descent. This stark underrepresentation highlights why productions like Scenes from a Yellow Peril are so significant. With an all-Asian Australian ensemble, it amplifies voices that rarely take centre stage. The Reaction Theory has used the smash hit New Zealand work by Nathan Joe to take an unflinching look on the experiences of Asian Australians. Daphne Chen, Chris Nguyen, Peter Wood and Jazz Zhao work seamlessly together through movement and dialogue showcasing the power of community and authenticity. Through striking choreography, sharp spoken word, and moments of biting satire, Scenes of a Yellow Peril confronts stereotypes and exposes the contradictions within multicultural identity. By centring Asian Australian narratives on stage, Scenes from a Yellow Peril not only disrupts the status quo but redefines what it means to be seen. It is a powerful reminder that representation is more than just numbers; it is about agency, authenticity, and the ability to tell one’s own story. If this ensemble represents the future of diverse Australian theatre then Australian theatre is in good hands.

24/02/2025

BILLE BROWN AWARD BEST EMERGING ARTIST
Salad Days Collective – Body of Work: After The End, Backdock Arts; Scenes With Girls, PIP Theatre; Love, VENTspace.

Salad Days Collective came into being in 2023 as an interdisciplinary creative collective, honouring brilliant yet often overlooked pieces of theatre and embracing the challenge of never playing things safe. Created and headed by trained Queensland actors, Jasmine Prasser and Leo Buzac, the collective is not only open to, but focused on collaborating and combining creative peoples, ideologies and works in order to step away from the notion that art should be dictated by ‘what will sell’. In 2024, Salad Days Collective produced three powerful plays in three distinct venues, demonstrating serious artistic and professional commitment as well as maturity in allowing strong writing to support their development as emerging artists. Proving that low-budget does not have to mean compromise in the quest for quality, the productions tackled tough subjects with depth and creativity, accompanied by informative programs with a consistent style.

24/02/2025

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Micheal Enright, Fun Home – PIP Theatre.

Micheal Enright’s portrayal of College Alison in Fun Home as their professional debut was nothing short of stunning. Enright captured the awkward joy of coming out, authentically embodying Alison’s journey from uncertainty to self-assurance with warmth and an endearing touch of naivety. Their portrayal was both hilarious and heartfelt, particularly in the solo "Changing My Major," where their vocal precision and comedic timing shone. Enright’s stage presence was magnetic, bringing authenticity and depth to each interaction.

24/02/2025

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kimie Tsukakoshi, Trent Dalton's Love Stories – Brisbane Festival & QPAC.

It’s hard enough to deliver one strong supporting performance on stage. It’s harder still to play three drastically different characters in an ensemble of 11—and still manage to stand out. But that is exactly what Kimie Tsukakoshi does in Love Stories. From portraying an elderly Japanese woman to a woman learning sign language, and even a lovestruck TikTok star, Tsukakoshi showcases remarkable versatility in both age and experience. With each role, she shifts seamlessly between personas, not just altering her physicality and voice, but capturing the emotional depth and nuance that make each character feel fully realized. Her ability to transition from quiet vulnerability to vibrant energy demonstrates a keen instinct for storytelling, ensuring that every character leaves an impression. Whether delivering moments of humour, heartbreak, or hope, Tsukakoshi proves herself to be a dynamic and compelling presence on stage—one that makes Love Stories all the more lovely.

24/02/2025

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE – MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Thomas Weatherall, Blue – A Belvoir Street production, presented by La Boite Theatre.

Thomas Weatherall’s performance as Mark in Blue was astonishing. His performance invited the audience to experience the very raw and vulnerable world his character has experienced. It’s a story of grief, loss, mental health and what that looks like for a young adult to navigate. Blue is a one person show (challenging for any actor) that had minimal distractions on stage but had one young man who was so authentic, honest, gentle and natural in the way he allowed Mark’s story to be told through him that the audience was completely engaged from start to finish. As his debut theatre piece, Thomas truly left an imprint on everyone who had the privilege to bear witness to Blue.